iPlayer 213m requests in October

The BBC iPlayer has reported a record number of requests in October 2012, with 213 million request for TV and radio programmes – breaking 200 million in a month for the first time

The record number of requests was driven by increases in all types of device – mobile, tablet, TV and computer:

– Mobiles and tablets now contribute nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of all requests, and requests from connected TV devices now make up 20 per cent, as iPlayer gains traction on newer platforms
– Weekly requests remained high across October, increasing for TV as the month progressed with the start of new series including Merlin and Hunted (1.1m and 0.9m requests respectively)
– Other returning TV series also delivered solid figures (Russell Howard’s Good News, Waterloo Road, EastEnders), and other highlights included the final of The Great British Bake-Off and one-off documentaries such as Panorama: Jimmy Savile (1m) and Top Gear 50 Years of Bond Cars (0.7m)
– On radio, top programmes included Radio 4’s News Quiz, Fearne Cotton and The Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw on Radio 1. Live sport also did well, with Radio 5 Live’s coverage of Poland v England football and the Indian Grand Prix, as well as a sports documentary Sport Peddlers – Cycling’s Dirty Truth.
– The proportion of live requests stabilised in October at levels seen before the London 2012 Olympic Games. On TV, around 1 in 8 requests are live, whereas on radio the reverse is true and over three quarters of requests are simulcast.